Persecution

Disclaimer: The following is my thoughts and opinions.  Since I am human, I can be wrong.

• Rule #1 - Never assume you are 100% right and never assume you are 100% wrong
• Rule #2 - don't be jerk
• Rule #3 - when there is disagreement, assume the worst of your intentions and the best of the other persons intentions

Definition of Persecution

• the act or practice of persecuting especially those who differ in origin, religion, or social outlook
• the condition of being persecuted, harassed, or annoyed

Many of the Christians I know have a sense of being persecuted.  They miss saying "Merry Christmas".  They feel it is silly that you cannot pray at a public school event.  They believe they have to keep their faith to themselves because someone might be "offended" by the speaking of their beliefs.


My impression is that they look back to a "better time" where everyone went to church, everyone in their neighborhood was obviously a Christian and we did not have to worry about offending anyone else. 


I get that.  The world is different.  It is changing.  That change is not comfortable.


But that does not mean we are persecuted.


It is difficult to look at modern American culture and say, with a straight face, that white Christians are persecuted.  To me, that is like a millionaire telling someone scraping by on minimum wage how upset they are because they lost 10 bucks.  Christian's need to stop behaving like a wounded puppy.


The following is a paraphrase of a quote from an unknown author:

People are more comfortable with a flattering lie than an uncomfortable truth



Here is the uncomfortable truth that many of my Christian brothers and sisters do not want to accept - We cannot go back to the way it was.  Our world is going to continue to change whether we like it or not.  Digging in and fighting that change is fruitless.  If you do, you will succeed only in making enemies and driving people further and further from Christ.


We must change.  We must adapt.  We must keep our focus on Christ and listen for what He wants us to do.  What road does he want us to walk?  What is more important to Jesus - fighting to get back to the good ol' days or speaking the Good News to souls that need to be saved?


We know the answer.

Tolerance

Disclaimer: The following is my thoughts and opinions.  Since I am human, I can be wrong.

• Rule #1 - Never assume you are 100% right and never assume you are 100% wrong
• Rule #2 - don't be jerk
• Rule #3 - when there is disagreement, assume the worst of your intentions and the best of the other persons intentions

Definition of Tolerance

• capacity to endure pain or hardship
• sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own
• the act of allowing something
• the allowable deviation from a standard; especially the range of variation permitted in maintaining a specified dimension in machining a piece

The Christian faith is odd.  On any given Sunday, you can walk into any Christian church in America and hear a sermon that will have some mention of accepting and loving others "as they are", which will elicit the nodding of heads, an "Amen" and maybe even a "Hallelujah!".


At the same time, Christians have an earned reputation for exclusion, intolerance, and self-righteousness.  Admittedly, I am lumping all Christians into the same group which is inherently unfair.  The thing is...I have seen it.  I have experienced it.  And I am not the only one.  Sure, the stereotype is unfair, just like all stereotypes are unfair.  But it is a stereotype with some truth behind it.


There are many examples of Christian leaders and organizations telling the world about what they must do and must not do.  This image leads to the misconception that a Christ Follower must first and foremost be a rule follower.  Being a Christ Follower is not like being in a homeowner's association.


Let me give one example.  There is a group of men I meet with weekly for Bible study and fellowship.  I have great respect for each and every one of them.  They are all, in their own way, trying to live like a follower of Christ each day.  They are all generous with their time, money and talents (often more so than I am).


But...let's not bring up the subject of the COEXIST bumper stickers.  You know those bumper stickers - each letter of COEXIST is a symbol of a different religion.  I always took this to mean that we should all play nicely in the sandbox, even if we are not all best friends.  Seemed pretty simple to me.


For some of these good, Christian men, that bumper sticker is ridiculous.  They feel as if they are being asked to accept Islam, or Judaism, or Buddhism or atheism as co-equals to Christianity.  "And if we don't, we're labeled as a bigot!"


No, guys, you are not being asked to accept these other faiths or beliefs as equal and as "true" as your own.  It just means you should follow rule #2 - don't be a jerk.  As long as no one is getting hurt, we are all free to believe what we wish.  It doesn't mean you have to agree with or even like someone else's beliefs.  It just means "don't be a jerk".

Identity - Part 2

Disclaimer: The following is my thoughts and opinions.  Since I am human, I can be wrong.

• Rule #1 - Never assume you are 100% right and never assume you are 100% wrong
• Rule #2 - don't be jerk
• Rule #3 - when there is disagreement, assume the worst of your intentions and the best of the other persons intentions

Definition of Identity

• sameness of essential or generic character in different instances
• sameness in all that constitutes the objective reality of a thing
• the distinguishing character or personality of an individual
• the relation established by psychological identification
• the condition of being the same with something described or asserted
• an equation that is satisfied for all values of the symbols

In the early 20th century, the terms retard, moron and imbecile were not insults.  They were accepted and defined terms used to categorize persons with cognitive disabilities.  The use of these terms in a hospital setting helped to convey important information about a person's mental abilities.






And then the general public got a hold of the terms.






How we use a word defines the word, regardless of what a dictionary says.  The actual definition of a particular word does not matter as much as how people use it.  Every time we try to use more inclusive, caring language, there will be groups who twist it and turn it into something mean and insulting.






That is how I currently feel about the word 'Christian'.  The definition of Christian is "one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ".  By this definition, I am most certainly a Christian.


Why then do I feel the definition has changed?






This past fall, 80% of white, evangelical Christians voted for a presidential candidate who has rarely displayed any of the "fruits of the Spirit" from Galatians 5:22-23.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Let me be clear on one point.  I do not know what is in Donald Trump's heart.  I do not know and cannot know where he stands with God.  Maybe, just maybe, he is really and truly trying every day to be more like Christ.  Maybe he has such a long way to go that it is hard for us to see how far he has come.  This is not for me to judge.  But we can all see his behavior, his actions and his words.  There is no debate as to the content.  And the content is not good.
There are those who voted for President Trump because they believe he was "ordained by God".  There are those who voted for him based solely on his anti-abortion stance.  Many Christians voted for him because they felt he would appoint Supreme Court justices who were more conservative.  There were those who simply disliked Hillary Clinton so much they would vote for anyone opposing her.  Some voted for President Trump because they believed he would undo many Obama-era policies and regulations that they personally disagreed with.  Maybe some Christians voted for President Trump because they believed the Federal government needed an outsider to "shake things up".




Considerable time and effort has been put into arguing for and against the reasons listed above.  I will not add to that.  What I have yet to hear is how President Trump's election affects the Kingdom of God.  As a Christ Follower, that is important to me.




The very last verses of the Book of Matthew are:




Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."


This is often referred to as the Great Commission.  These verses have spurred on evangelical effort for the last two millennia.  With his last earthly words, Jesus makes it clear that we are called to spread the Good News to all people everywhere.  There is no "except", "if", "but" or other qualifying language in Christ's statement.  It is not up to us to determine who gets to hear the Good News.  Each Christ Follower is called to do our part in growing the Kingdom of God.


If you fall anywhere under the umbrella of non-Christian, would conservative Christian support for President Trump bring you closer to being a Christ Follower or would it push you farther away?

Eighty percent of white, Evangelical Christians voted for a man who, by all objective standards, has been mean, rude, dishonest, lacking in self-control, and seems to intentionally sow discord.  I have yet to see any of the "fruit of the Spirit" in him.  And yet, because of his position and ties to Christian conservatives, he is a Christian leader (whether we like it or not).

From my point of view, my fellow Christians have significantly impaired their evangelical efforts in a trade for...I'm not really sure what.  A return to "power" or "authority" or "the good ol' days"?  Maybe a desire to redirect the moral compass of our nation.  Stop and think about that for a moment.  Will President Trump help bring the U.S. back to Christian Values?  I would not get your hopes up.

In recent weeks, when I have thought about the word modern use of the term 'Christian', I have thought of the word 'Pharisee' - someone who is more interested in rule-following and maintaining the sociopolitical status quo than following God's Will.

That is why, at this particular point in time, I would rather be known as a Christ Follower than a Christian.

Identity - Part 1

Disclaimer: The following is my thoughts and opinions.  Since I am human, I can be wrong.

• Rule #1 - Never assume you are 100% right and never assume you are 100% wrong
• Rule #2 - don't be jerk
• Rule #3 - when there is disagreement, assume the worst of your intentions and the best of the other persons intentions

Definition of Identity

• sameness of essential or generic character in different instances
• sameness in all that constitutes the objective reality of a thing
• the distinguishing character or personality of an individual
• the relation established by psychological identification
• the condition of being the same with something described or asserted
• an equation that is satisfied for all values of the symbols

It is difficult to live and exist in our current times without making reference to the current state of our country and our world.  At this moment in time, I feel compelled to do so; I feel convicted to do so.  Is this arrogance?  Possibly.  Is this a hidden form of self-righteousness?  Maybe.  I hope not.

 

Before I can comment on today, I feel I must describe myself...my identity.  Where do I come from, how do I see the world, what defines who I am?  We will start with a bullet list because I have a 'thing' for bullet lists.

• I am 42 years old (born 1975)
• I am a Caucasian male.
• I was born into a middle class household in a suburb of Grand Rapids in West Michigan.
• My father was an auto mechanic and my mother was a public school teacher.
• I spent my childhood going to church and Sunday school and youth group.
• I did not become a follower of Christ until about a year after finishing graduate school.
• I was a nominal Christian - If someone had asked me when I was 20 what my religion was, I would have said 'Christian'.  However, I was not a follower of Christ.
• I have been married for 14 years.
• My wife and I have 3 kids from 11 to 5 years old - a girl, a boy, and a girl.
• I love my wife and my children so deeply that it can truly hurt.
• We are part of a church family at a Christian Reformed Church.
• My children go to a Christian school that originates from the Reformed tradition, with a strong Dutch background.
• I am a physical therapist.
• I work in a multidisciplinary chronic pain rehab program.
• I thoroughly and completely enjoy my work.
• I would be remiss if I didn't not mention my passion for all things cycling.

The list above is what you would expect if you asked someone "Who are you?"  But does it really give you the distinguishing character or personality of an individual?

 

Who am I?  I am a follower of Christ (Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God).  At my heart, at my core, in the deepest part of myself, that is who I am.  Each day I try to be a follower.  Each day I try to do it better, more purely, than the day before.  I fail most days.

 

That is who I am.  Nothing more needs to be said.

Responsibility

Disclaimer: The following is my thoughts and opinions.  I might lead you astray...but I might not.

Definition of responsibility

 

plural - responsibilities

1. the quality or state of being responsible : such as a: moral, legal, or mental accountability b: reliability, trustworthiness
2. something for which one is responsible: burden <has neglected his responsibilities>

Is duty and responsibility the same thing?  Kind of but not really.  As a culture, we seem to use the words interchangeably.  If something is your duty, then it is your responsibility and vice versa.  But if we look at responsibility based on the first definition, that changes things.




A person can have a sense of duty but not be very responsible.  On the flip side, a person might have a sense of responsibility but deny they have a duty.  Let me illustrate:

"I know I need to take care of that, but I just don't want to."

vs.

"I take care of what I need to take care of."



The first sentence illustrates a person acknowledging a sense of duty but not acting responsibly.  The second sentence illustrates someone acting responsibly, but only toward that which they want to responsible for, thereby denying duty.

Have I picked enough nits yet?

To me, it sounds a lot like the battle between faith and action.  If someone expresses great religious faith but does not act out that faith, is the faith empty?

If you know that you have a duty to some one or some thing but do not act on that duty, you cannot be described as responsible.  This is no better than failing to acknowledge that you have a duty in the first place.

What is worse, the father who never lives up to his responsibilities or the father who believes he has no responsibilities?  Is it worse to see that your father does not care enough to live up to his promises or is it worse to have your father not care enough to even make a promise?  Would you rather have a series of small disappointments or just one big disappointment?


I have been both the first person and the second person.  The question of which is worse is a question without a clearly defined answer.  I do not want to be either; each day I work to be neither.


For any husband and/or father, the question they must ask is what would my children answer if they were asked "Is your dad responsible?"





Duty

Disclaimer: The following is my thoughts and opinions.  I might lead you astray...but I might not.

Definition of duty

plural - duties

1. conduct due to parents and superiors :  respect <filial duty and obedience — John Locke>
2. a: obligatory tasks, conduct, service, or functions that arise from one's position (as in life or in a group) <was his duty to support his family> <Her primary duty at the meeting was to take attendance.> <performs a variety of administrative duties>b (1) :  assigned service or business <was put on kitchen duty> <jury duty> (2) :  active military service <returning from duty overseas> (3) :  a period of being on duty <report for duty at 7 a.m.>
3. a: a moral or legal obligation <felt it was their duty to help>b :  the force of moral obligation <will be ready when duty calls>
4. tax; especially :  a tax on imports <a 15 percent duty>
5. a: work 1ab (1) :  the service required (as of an electric machine) under specified conditions (2) :  functional application :  use <got double duty out of the trip> (3) :  use as a substitute <making the word do duty for the thing — Edward Sapir>

"He He, he said doody.'


No, not "doody".  This is not a middle school blog.








As boring and unexceptional as it is, duty rules my day.  Here is my little secret...I don't mind.


I have grown comfortable with my duties.  They are not a burden; they are a gift.




I have a duty to my family, which means I have a family.  I have a duty to my employer, which means I have a job.  There are duties to my church and church family but, in return, I get a church and a church family.  I am on the school board at my kid's school.  This involves multiple duties which can become tedious and time-consuming.  But, I get to be a part of making our school the best school it can be.




When I stop to think about it, I have many duties.  And, at times, it can be overwhelming.

"Why did I volunteer my self for this job?  What was I thinking?"

Here is the thing, I have a purpose.  I am of use.  My duties matter to others, sometimes in large ways and sometimes in small ways and sometimes in silent ways.  Each day I have an opportunity to make a difference to my kids, to my wife, to my coworkers, to the patients I treat, to the kids at school, to the staff at school, to  members of my church and even to random people I might run across.




Deep down in my soul, all I really want is to be a source of positivity for others.  It is not my job to 'fix' the world.  Here is my job - be the best version of Mike as often as I can.  God will sort out the details as He sees fit.

Faith

Disclaimer: The following is my thoughts and opinions.  I might lead you astray...but I might not.

Definition of faith


plural - faiths


play \ˈfāths, sometimes ˈfāthz\

1. a :  allegiance to duty or a person :  loyalty <lost faith in the company's president>b (1) :  fidelity to one's promises (2) :  sincerity of intentions <acted in good faith>
2. a (1) :  belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2) :  belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1) :  firm belief in something for which there is no proof <clinging to the faith that her missing son would one day return> (2) :  complete trust

something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially :  a system of religious beliefs

<the Protestant faith

This blog could not be written without discussing faith.  Faith is at the core of who I am and how I perceive the world.  It is the lens through which everything else is viewed.

Let me try to summarize "my belief in which there is no proof":

1. There is one God.
2. There are no other gods.
3. God created everything.
4. God can do anything.
5. God knows everything.
6. God is in control of everything.
7. God loves every human without exception.
8. God does not love one human more than another.
9. We cannot fully comprehend His love for us.
10. The Bible is God's inspired word.
11. The Bible was written by human hands but God is the author.
12. The Bible is not 'wrong'.
13. Humans can interpret the Bible inaccurately.
14. God is three beings in one - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
15. No, I cannot wrap my head around how that works.
16. God's Son is Jesus of Nazareth.
17. Jesus is and was simultaneously human and God.
18. No, I cannot wrap my head around how that works.
19. Jesus died on a cross.
20. Jesus was raised from the dead by His/Our Father.
21. Because Jesus lived a faultless life, His death bridged the insurmountable moral gap between humans and God.
22. I sorta, kinda think I know how that works...maybe.
23. If we choose to dedicate our lives to Jesus, Jesus 'infects us'.
24. This 'infection' is an unearned, undeserved gift that must be given to us.
25. In other words, we do not earn the gift in any way.
26. This 'infection' will slowly transform us into what He is.
27. This is an all or nothing proposition.  He wants every part of us, not just the parts we want to give up.
28. What he is completely better than what we are.
29. This transformation cannot and will not be completed in this life.
30. There is no path to God except through Jesus.
31. Jesus will one day return to Earth.
32. We do not know when.
33. When He returns, the Earth will be transformed into perfection.
34. No, I do not know what 'perfection' is.

There you go.  That is my faith in a nutshell.  I have no absolute proof that my beliefs are truth.  My beliefs cannot be objectively proven.  That is why it is called it 'faith'.